Policy Order O-3

WHEREAS: Graduate employees are an integral part of the success of Harvard University in that their research and teaching is essential to the function of the university bringing roughly $819 million in grants and contract to the University each year; and

WHEREAS: Despite their dedication to their institution, they are met with job insecurity, late payments, termination without just cause, lack of dental coverage, lack of access to affordable childcare, and arbitrary scheduling; and

WHEREAS: In order to address these issues, graduate employees at Harvard are organizing for union representation with the Harvard Graduate Student Union - UAW; and

WHEREAS: Graduate workers at public institutions of higher education in Massachusetts have had the right to bargain legally recognized for years but graduate employees at private universities do not have their rights enforced by law; and

WHEREAS: The Harvard Graduate Student Union - UAW has reached out for support in urging the Harvard administration to recognize the right of graduate employees to collectively bargain; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record supporting the efforts of the Harvard Graduate Student Union and urging the Harvard administration to commit to refrain from legal or other action that would delay graduate employees' right to choose collective bargaining, to refrain from efforts to influence research assistants and teaching assistants in their decision to vote on HGSU-UAW, and to commit to commence good-faith negotiations for a contract immediately upon confirmation of a majority vote by research assistants and teaching assistance in favor of HGSU-UAW as their union.